> I don't want to sound like there is something wrong with making a good> faith effort to be helpful -- that all any of us can do, myself> included. However, in this particular case, perhaps help from someone> who regularly works with dynamic programming would be more useful.

I will heed this wise advice and not comment more on dynamic
programming, as I have perhaps confused it (at least in part) with
other techniques. I hope that confusion does not become part of "one
person states a falsehood and a 100 repeat it as true." Straying out
of one's confort zone may be a good thing when "Dancing with the
Stars", but is not always so good with being helpful.